Every so often, we get a reminder that even smart people can be stupid. It can be amusing to see, or frustrating, or perhaps no one even notices. But we’re allowed to notice, and harmlessly mock if appropriate, as long as we don’t take ourselves too seriously in the...

At the June SBCA Open Quarterly Meeting (OQM), we had the opportunity to see the latest in truss robotics and hear about a formerly overlooked engineering issue. While both experiences were worth the trip to Seattle, it was equally rewarding learning about an unfamiliar market and meeting many...

By July, most manufacturing leaders already have a good idea how the year is going. They know where orders are strong. They know where labor is tight. They know which customers are creating pressure. They know which departments are struggling to keep up. But the more important question is not...

Over the years, more than one person has referred to JobLine as the “eHarmony of the truss industry.” I usually laugh when I hear it, but the comparison does make a point. The goal of recruiting shouldn’t be getting someone to change jobs. It should be finding the right match...

I don’t mind having solicitors from time to time, even though the neighborhood has a sign against it. In fact, when someone tells me they’re doing work on a neighbor’s house that interests me, I’ll have a conversation and get a quote. Why not? It’s not as if...

Component manufacturing is a constant balancing act. People, timelines, communication, production realities, and customer expectations, all at once. Estimators are trying to turn quotes around faster, designers are solving problems that keep getting more complex, and production teams are...

After more than 30 years of recruiting in the structural building components industry, along with my own background in offsite manufacturing, I have learned that hiring someone is only the beginning. Keeping them is where many companies struggle. One of the biggest complaints I hear from...

Last month’s article, “Is Your Tribal Knowledge Retiring or Expired?”, addresses the “Single Point of Failure” — the realization that your plant’s most valuable intellectual property is currently walking out the door every day at 5:00 PM in the head of a...

Designing long-span trusses starts with a clear definition. Establishing what constitutes a long-span truss sets expectations early, helping to drive smarter design, manufacturing, and logistics decisions from the outset. [For all figures, See PDF or View in Full Issue.] Defining Long-Span...

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology is everywhere we look lately. From health care to education to manufacturing operations, AI leaders claim their applications will improve productivity and streamline business processes in every way imaginable. Some say it will replace jobs, while others...